Hyderabad: The landslide victory of the TRS in Warangal Lok Sabha bypoll has come as a huge boost for the TRS which is preparing to contest the forthcoming GHMC polls, so much so that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has already claimed a “grand victory” for his party in the civic body polls.
Addressing the media at the Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, Mr Rao said, “We are going to win GHMC elections too. I have already obtained reports on the party’s prospects which say that the TRS would comfortably win around 80 of the 150 wards.”
The surprising scale of victory in Warangal, wherein all rival candidates lost their deposits and TRS getting more votes than it did in 2014, has left city TRS leaders and cadre jubilant. They see a “KCR wave” sweeping the GHMC elections, expected in January 2016. Party leaders expect large-scale migrations of leaders and activists from other parties into the TRS following its stunning performance in Warangal. This they feel, will further strengthen the TRS in GHMC limits.
The fact that there was no sign of any anti-incumbency factor against the 18-month rule of the TRS, even as the BJP which is in power at the Centre, suffering humiliating defeats of late, is being seen as a huge morale booster ahead of the civic polls for the TRS men.
“Warangal victory is special for us in many ways. First and foremost, it came in the form of positive vote for the TRS 17-month rule, while the entire Opposition spoke about a negative vote against us. We thank the voters for reposing faith in us. They have inspired us to work more and better. We are confident of repeating the Warangal story in GHMC elections,” said K.T. Rama Rao, IT minister.
The party leadership is planning to project KTR as the face of TRS campaign for GHMC elections, hoping to attract urban voters. Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said, “Warangal win made it clear that there is no anti-incumbency against the TRS government.
The result would be repeated in Hyderabad and TRS is bound to win GHMC elections convincingly. KCR is already on a mission to make Hyderabad a global city. Plans to achieve this goal were devised during the last 17 months and the time has come to execute these plans. Everyone will see a sea change in Hyderabad, both infrastructure-wise and civic issues wise from now on.”
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